North Dakota State University

Fargo, N.D., June 12, 2013 – Kelly A. Rusch, Ph.D., professor, researcher and former administrator at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, has been hired as vice president for research and creative activities at North Dakota State University, Fargo. In her role, she will facilitate, coordinate and advance research at NDSU and foster economic development.

“Dr. Rusch has been involved in broad and ongoing research activities that match the direction and priorities of NDSU as a student-focused, land-grant, research university,” said NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani. “We are thrilled to bring such an exceptionally talented scholar and researcher to this major leadership role.”

Dr. Rusch joined the Louisiana State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty in 1993, where she has spent the majority of her career focused on microorganism system design, development and modeling, and engineering education. She currently leads a research group focused on microalgae-cyanobacteria consortia for biofuels and bioproducts production. This work was recognized in 2008 by the Aquacultural Engineering Society Superior Paper Award and through two pending patents. She has secured more than $15 million in research grant funding as a principal or co-principal investigator.

She has served in numerous leadership positions, including associate dean of the College of Engineering, interim chair of the Department of Construction Management and Industrial Engineering, co-chair of Louisiana State’s Commission on the Status of Women and founder and director of the Institute for Ecological Infrastructure Engineering. Dr. Rusch has been a technical consultant on topics including aquacultural engineering, microalgae and zooplankton system design and operation since 1997. She is a registered professional engineer in Louisiana.

Dr. Rusch is a member of the board of directors and past president of the Aquacultural Engineering Society, an international professional organization that supports the advancement of the global aquaculture community. She is a founding member of the Women in Engineering Leadership Institute, which was formed to support the advancement of women faculty into leadership positions. Dr. Rusch has more than 120 refereed articles and technical papers and reports. She has presented more than 165 conference and invited talks and lectures on scientific and educational topics.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, and her master’s degree and doctorate in civil engineering with emphasis on environmental engineering at Louisiana State University.

“Dr. Rusch brings an exceptional combination of research experiences, energy and a comprehensive vision that will take NDSU to the next level,” said NDSU Provost Bruce Rafert.

Dr. Rusch will begin work at NDSU in late September. She will succeed Philip Boudjouk, who has held the position since March 2000 when it was first established. Dr. Boudjouk will continue to work on projects, enhancing public and private research partnerships to bring NDSU-developed technologies to the marketplace.

“I am truly honored to have been selected as the next vice president for research and creative activities at NDSU,” Rusch said. “The excellent foundation built by Vice President Boudjouk, the growing research, innovation and creative activity portfolio of NDSU and the vibrant North Dakota economy make this a very exciting time to be joining NDSU. I look forward to developing and implementing a shared vision that allows all constituents of the innovation enterprise to reach the next level of excellence.”

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

May 30, 2013 – Fargo, N.D. – Confounding clays of the Red River Valley that cause structures to shift and buckle could actually hold the key to building better bones in humans, according to a North Dakota State University research team.

Whether damaged by injury, disease or age, your body can’t create new bone, but maybe science can. Researchers at North Dakota State University, Fargo, are making strides in tissue engineering, designing scaffolds that may lead to ways to regenerate bone. Published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, the research of Dr. Kalpana Katti, Dr. Dinesh Katti and doctoral student Avinash Ambre includes a novel method that uses nanosized clays to make scaffolds to mineralize bone minerals such as hydroxyapatite.

The NDSU research team’s 3-D mesh scaffold is comprised of degradable materials that are compatible to human tissue. Over time, the cells generate bone and the scaffold deteriorates. As indicated in the NDSU team’s published scientific research from 2008 to 2013, the nanoclays enhance the mechanical properties of the scaffold by enabling scaffold to bear load while bone generates. An interesting finding by the Katti group shows that the nanoclays also impart useful biological properties to the scaffold.

“The biomineralized nanoclays also impart osteogenic or bone-forming abilities to the scaffold to enable birth of bone,” said Dr. Kalpana Katti, Distinguished Professor of civil engineering at NDSU. “Although it would have been exciting to say that this finding had a ‘Eureka moment,’ this discovery was a methodical exploration of simulations and modeling, indicating that amino acid modified nanoclays are viable new nanomaterials,” said Katti. The work was initially published in the Journal of Biomacromolecules in 2005. The current research findings in 2013 point toward the potential use of nanoclays for broader applications in medicine.

The NDSU’s group most recent study in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A reports that nanoclays mediate human cell differentiation into bone cells and grow bone. The Katti research group uses amino acids, the building blocks of life, to modify clay structures and the modified nanoclays coax new bone growth. “Our current research studies underway involve the use of bioreactors that mimic fluid/blood flow in the human body during bone tissue regeneration,” said Dr. Kalpana Katti.

There is some irony that the clay so prevalent in the Red River Valley could be integral to building bone in humans. Clay likes to swell and clay likes to shrink, challenging engineers to build structures on the equivalent of shifting sands. Such clays can cause billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure worldwide, causing bridges and roads to buckle or buildings that shift or sink. But at the nanoscale level, substances exhibit very different properties. When it comes to serving as a component in bone scaffolding, nanoclays are a different story.

The Katti group at NDSU has pioneered the use of nanoclays in bone regeneration since 2008, with research results appearing in Biomedical Materials, ASME Journal of Nanotechnology for Engineering and Medicine, Materials Science and Engineering C, along with the February 2013 publication in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A.

Bone tissue engineering represents important promise for regenerative medicine, according to Dr. Kalpana Katti. National Institutes of Health information shows that more than one million Americans have a hip or knee replaced each year. An aging population, in addition to orthopedic injuries of military veterans, and diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis mean that the promise of scientific research to generate human bone could have far-reaching implications in the future.

Key publications of the Katti group at NDSU in use of nanoclays to generate bone are:
1.    Nanoclays mediate stem cell differentiation and mineralized ECM formation on biopolymer scaffolds
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A 
Avinash H. Ambre, Dinesh R. Katti and Kalpana S. Katti Article first published online : 15 FEB 2013, DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.34561

A. H. Ambre, K.S. Katti, D. R Katti, (2011) In situ Mineralized Hydroxyapatite with Amino Acid Modified Nanoclays as Novel Bone Biomaterials Materials Science and Engineering C 31(5) 1017-1029.

A. H. Ambre, K.S. Katti, D. R Katti, (2010) Nanoclay Based Composite Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications, ASME Journal of Nanotechnology for Engineering and Medicine. 1, 031013.

K. S. Katti, D. R. Katti, R. Dash, (2008), Synthesis and characterization of a novel chitosan/montmorillonite/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite for bone tissue engineering, Biomedical Materials, 3, 034122.

D. R. Katti, P. Ghosh, S. Schmidt and K.S. Katti, (2005) Mechanical properties of sodium montmorillonite interlayer intercalcated with amino acids, Biomacromolecules, 6, 3276-3282

About NDSU

NDSU, Fargo, North Dakota, USA, is notably listed among the top 108 U.S. public and private universities in the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education’s category of “Research Universities/Very High Research Activity.” As a student-focused, land grant, research institution, NDSU is listed in the Top 100 research universities in the U.S. for R&D in computer science, chemistry, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, and agricultural sciences, based on research expenditures reported to the National Science Foundation. www.ndsu.edu/research

May 14, 2013 – Fargo, N.D. – Two major national awards received by North Dakota State University professors will bring a combined $1.6 million to biochemistry and to plant pathology research programs at NDSU, Fargo, and provide additional research opportunities for students.

Stuart Haring, Ph.D., assistant professor in biochemistry, and Robert Brueggeman, Ph.D., assistant professor in plant pathology at NDSU, will each receive five-year Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Living cells are the focus of Dr. Haring’s research, for which he is receiving a five-year award of $992,429 from NSF. It is the largest single CAREER award received at NDSU since 1996. Dr. Haring’s research examines how cells recognize and repair damaged DNA, before the DNA is permanently mutated. The research, titled “Replication Protein A Modification - Dependent Function in Mitosis and Meiosis,” will also provide opportunities to NDSU students in molecular and cellular biology. Much of the current research into cellular dysfunction centers on how to fix cells after they have been broken, due to genetic mutation. Dr. Haring’s research involves understanding molecular mechanisms of DNA metabolism, which are important in preventing mutations from occurring. This is analogous to performing preventive maintenance, instead of only fixing things after they are broken.

“This award will allow us to probe into how Replication Protein A (RPA) modifications affect its cellular function, especially in response to DNA damage,” said Dr. Haring. “The research will also provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which modification of RPA directs its many functions, which is currently undetermined. Ultimately, a better understanding of these basic DNA maintenance mechanisms will potentially allow for the development of methods to prevent cellular defects by preventing mutation.”

In plant sciences research, Dr. Robert Brueggeman, assistant professor in plant pathology at NDSU, is being awarded $623,363 as a five-year CAREER award for research that examines mechanisms of disease resistance in cereal crops. Titled “Rapid stem rust resistance responses in barley; non host resistance,” Dr. Brueggeman’s research will fill gaps in knowledge of the interactions that occur between important pathogens and the cereal hosts that they attack. This includes how the plants mount defensive mechanisms to arrest the pathogen and how environmental factors, including high temperatures, can subvert plant defense against pathogens.

“This research is significant because the understanding of how disease resistance operates against important cereal crop pathogens will allow the maintenance of food security and keep the production of diverse crops an economically viable option for producers,” said Dr. Brueggeman. “We also need to understand why some important resistance mechanisms don’t work in different environmental conditions, including temperature fluctuation.”

Dr. Brueggeman’s research targets fundamental questions about the function of plant immunity and how to breed or engineer resistance mechanisms that are more resilient to changing biotic and environmental stimuli. “This information will allow breeders an understanding of the different mechanisms of disease resistance in barley and other cereal crops, including wheat, which will allow for a more informed deployment of different defense mechanisms to achieve durable genetic resistance,” he said.

Efforts will also focus on recruiting underrepresented groups to participate in Dr. Brueggeman’s research. Students participating in the Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research and Education (NATURE) program have opportunities through a summer research session and a science academy to engage in plant pathology research in Dr. Brueggeman’s lab. As a member of the Kutenai tribe, Dr. Brueggeman notes that similar science opportunities through tribal agencies were instrumental in creating his own interest in plant sciences and genetics. NATURE is an educational outreach program sponsored by the North Dakota Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ND EPSCoR).

Dr. Brueggeman received his Ph.D., in crop sciences from Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. Dr. Haring earned his Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Since 1996, eighteen faculty members at NDSU have received prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER awards.  “NDSU researchers continue a standard of excellence that reflect the institution’s ability to attract the best and the brightest among new faculty researchers,” said Philip Boudjouk, vice president for research, creative activities and technology transfer.

Overall, National Science Foundation CAREER awardees at NDSU have received more than $8.7 million in grants to conduct research in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, civil and electrical engineering, computer science, pharmaceutical sciences, plant sciences, and coatings and polymeric materials. NSF career awardees currently at NDSU include faculty members Gregory Cook, Stuart Haring, Seth Rasmussen, Wenfang Sun, Sivaguru Jayaraman and Uwe Burghaus in chemistry and biochemistry, Sanku Mallik in pharmaceutical sciences, Magdy Abdelrahman, Xuefeng Chu, Kalpana Katti and Eakalak Khan in civil engineering, Kendra Greenlee in biological sciences, Hyunsook Do in computer science, and Robert Brueggeman in plant sciences.

The National Science Foundation CAREER program recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of scholars who are likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. Recipients are chosen on the basis of creative career development plans that integrate research and education within the context of their university’s mission.

About NDSU

NDSU, Fargo, North Dakota, USA, is notably listed among the top 108 U.S. public and private universities in the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education’s category of “Research Universities/Very High Research Activity.” As a student-focused, land grant, research institution, NDSU is listed in the Top 100 research universities in the U.S. for R&D in computer science, chemistry, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, and agricultural sciences, based on research expenditures reported to the National Science Foundation. www.ndsu.edu/research

Fargo, N.D., April 19, 2013 — Three NDSU researchers will be presenting at two international Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) conferences from April 30 to May 2 in Orlando, Fla.  Dr. Val Marinov, Cherish Bauer-Reich, and Layne Berge will present research at RFID Journal LIVE! and at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on RFID, to highlight NDSU technology breakthroughs.

Bauer-Reich, research engineer at NDSU’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), will present an invited talk titled “The Object is the Antenna: Use of Ferrites in On-Metal RFID Tags.” As part of the IEEE International Conference on RFID, Bauer-Reich will discuss research at CNSE to develop on-metal RFID tags that use the structure of the tagged object as the antenna.  This research has been featured in publications such as RFID Journal, R&D Magazine and Gizmag. Her talk will be part of a workshop on Enhancing Near-Metal Performance of RFID.  The workshop also features speakers from MIT, University of Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, and University of Tampere in Finland.

Layne Berge, a graduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at NDSU, will present a paper titled “A UHF RFID Antenna for a Wireless Sensor Platform with a Near-Isotropic Radiation Pattern,” as part of the IEEE conference. 

The paper is a result of Berge’s research for his master’s thesis and was co-written with his advisor Dr. Michael Reich, senior engineer at NDSU CNSE.  The research focuses on developing spherical sensor platforms that can communicate using RFID protocols, regardless of orientation.  This is useful for sensors that cannot be deployed with a guaranteed orientation, such as those dropped from aircraft.

Dr. Val Marinov, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at NDSU, was invited to present at RFID Journal LIVE! on May 2 to discuss a “New Method for Embedding RFID in Paper that Could Reduce Counterfeiting.” Researchers at NDSU have developed a method for embedding ultrathin passive RFID chips on paper or other flexible substrates. The embedding method involves chips thinner than most commercial RFID chips on the market today. RFID-enabled paper could be used to dramatically reduce counterfeiting, as well as to improve the tracking of paper documents of all kinds. In addition, this method could enable the production of paper-based RFID tags at a cost lower than that of today's conventional RFID tags. The research has been featured in RFID Journal, as well as in numerous scientific publications.

The IEEE conference attracts international participation from researchers in industry and academia. It is held in conjunction with RFID Journal LIVE! 2013, the world's premier conference and exhibition focused on RFID and its many business applications. Approximately 2,500 people attend the annual event.

Fargo, N.D., April 19, 2013 — More than 30 NDSU researchers participated in "Preparing Your NSF-CAREER Proposal" held on April 18 in the Memorial Union. The all-day workshop was designed to assist faculty and postdoctoral students who are or will be potential applicants for the NSF-CAREER grants program.

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a highly competitive program that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research. CAREER grant awards provide five years of funding support. New proposals are accepted annually in the last week of July.

The workshop was sponsored by the ND EPSCoR and the NDSU Office of Research, Creative Activities and Technology Transfer, with presentations by The Implementation Group (TIG), a consulting firm from Washington, D.C.

In addition to reviewing criteria and processes for the NSF CAREER program, the workshop included a panel of successful NSF CAREER recipients at NDSU.  Since 1996, eighteen faculty members at NDSU have received prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER awards.

“NDSU researchers continue a standard of excellence that reflect the institution’s ability to attract the best and the brightest among new faculty researchers,” said Philip Boudjouk, vice president for research, creative activities and technology transfer. “Providing workshop tools and support can enhance continuing success for researchers pursuing this competitive grant award opportunity.”

March 26, Fargo, N.D. – A patent-pending technology to produce nanospheres developed by a research team at North Dakota State University, Fargo, could enable advances across multiple industries, including electronics, manufacturing, and biomedical sectors.

The environmentally-friendly process produces polymer-based nanospheres (tiny microscopic particles) that are uniform in size and shape, while being low-cost and easily reproducible. The process developed at NDSU allows scale-up of operation to high production levels, without requiring specialized manufacturing equipment.

A 3a.m. Eureka! Moment

Dr. Victoria Gelling, associate professor in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at NDSU, had a “Eureka!” moment when she woke early one morning – 3 a.m., to be precise, an hour when most of us are still sleeping. Gelling used early morning creativity to imagine a new way to oxidize monomers, which are relatively small and simple molecules, into polymers, which are larger, more complex molecules that can be used to create synthetic materials. Dr. Gelling hypothesized that oxidizing ozone in water might accomplish this task.

Later that day in the lab, Dr. Gelling and her team tested the hypothesis. On the first try, they created a suspension of nearly perfectly rounded, uniformly-sized nanospheres, ranging from 70 to 400 nanometers in diameter. In addition to their uniform size, the nanospheres stay suspended in the solution, and are easily removed using a centrifuge.

“The synthesis of the nanospheres is rather simple, with no other chemicals required other than water, ozone, and the small molecules which will become the polymers,” said Gelling. “We also have tight control of the size, as they are beautiful, perfect marbles.”

Given their uniform size and shape, the nanospheres could have uses across multiple industries. According to Dr. Gelling, such nanospheres could be used to:

-Produce high-performance electronic devices and energy-efficient digital displays
-Create materials with high conductivity and smaller parts for consumer electronics
-Deliver medicine directly to diseased cells in the body
-Provide antibacterial coating on dressing for wounds
-Develop nanosensors to aid in early disease detection
-Create coatings that provide increased protection against corrosion and abrasion

The process to develop nanospheres discovered at NDSU’s Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials was developed with support under Grant Number W911NF-09-2-0014, awarded by the U. S. Army Research Office.

NDSU’s research team for this technology includes Dr. Victoria Gelling, graduate research assistant Abhijit Jagnnath Suryawanshi, Omerga, MS, India; Chris Vetter, MS ’11, Moorhead, Minn., and Jessica Lamb, Fargo, N.D., now a graduate student at Cornell University.

The patent pending nanospheres technology is available for licensing/partnering through the NDSU Research Foundation. Contact 701-231-8173 or  jtolstedt@ndsurf.org

A brief video describing the NDSU-developed nanospheres is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndK-NzULfAk

Additional information about this technology and other NDSU innovations available for licensing are available at  http://www.ndsuresearchfoundation.org/rft351

About the NDSU Research Foundation
The NDSU Research Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organization that supports NDSU in its teaching, research and public service missions. The Foundation manages the intellectual properties developed by faculty, staff and students doing research at NDSU and facilitates commercialization of these technologies. By commercializing intellectual property, the Foundation is able to create resources that are returned to the individual inventors and to the University to promote continued research. www.ndsuresearchfoundation.org

About NDSU
NDSU, Fargo, North Dakota, USA, is notably listed among the top 108 U.S. public and private universities in the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education’s category of “Research Universities/Very High Research Activity.” As a student-focused, land grant, research institution, NDSU is listed in the Top 100 research universities in the U.S. for R&D in computer science, chemistry, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, and agricultural sciences, based on research expenditures reported to the National Science Foundation. www.ndsu.edu/research

Fargo, N.D., March 5, 2013 — Imagine washing down a prescription pill with some orange juice at breakfast. By lunchtime, a fleet of designer genes is released into the blood stream, targets diseased cells and infiltrates them. By the afternoon, the genes have completed their interrogation of the billions of DNA sequences in diseased cells to bind and fix, with 100 percent accuracy, the mutated gene causing a disease.

“By the time you drift off to Jay Leno, your genetic disease is cured,” said Glenn Dorsam, assistant professor in NDSU’s Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Science.

The vision may be closer to reality than some think. Dorsam will discuss the developing field of designer genes in “Finally, Designer Genes That Won’t Make You Look Fat and May Save Your Life” on Tuesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. in Stoker’s Basement, Hotel Donaldson.

“I would like to convey the history of scientists using this technology—mistakes, breakthroughs and disease intervention,” Dorsam said. “Also, I’ll talk about some fun facts about DNA and how our cells work.”

Through new techniques, scientists are able to replace diseased DNA sequences with healthy DNA sequences in order to combat disease, including HIV.

“The take-home message is that it’s extraordinary to be able to manipulate the blueprint that makes our bodies,” Dorsam said. “We can do that in real time after we’re born by correcting genetic mutations and genetic errors.” 

The presentation is part of the NDSU College of Science and Mathematics’ Science Café series. Each month, a scientist presents on a different topic and time is allowed for discussion with the scientist and other attendees. Attendees must be 21 or older or accompanied by a parent or guardian.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private research universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

Fargo, N.D., March 1, 2013 — Erin Nyren-Erickson, a graduate student in pharmaceutical sciences at North Dakota State University, took top honors in Innovation Challenge ’13, the second annual student innovation competition sponsored by NDSU and the NDSU Research and Technology Park. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony on Feb. 28.

The competition was part of the fourth annual Innovation Week, Feb. 26-28, to showcase and encourage student ingenuity at NDSU. It included three tracks: tangible innovations, intangible innovations such as services, processes or methods, and corn-based innovations.

“In just two short years, NDSU students have taken the Innovation Challenge competition to a new level,” said Brenda Wyland, interim executive director of the NDSU Research and Technology Park. “The innovation taking place on campus is astounding, and we can’t wait to see these new ideas in the marketplace.”

Nyren-Erickson, one of 22 finalists, won the $5,000 tangible innovations track and the $5,000 best in show prize for a new kind of test for contaminants in heparin, a blood-thinning drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires to be screened. Nyren-Erickson is from Fargo. Her innovation adviser is Sanku Mallik, professor in pharmaceutical sciences.

Team Improving Osteointegration won the $5,000 intangible innovations track for their method of determining the ideal pore size for growing cells that will allow a novel dental implant, also being developed by NDSU students, to integrate into a patient’s jaw bone.

Team members are:
-Emily Steil, a senior majoring in zoology from St. Cloud, Minn.
-Shelby Schields, a junior majoring in zoology from Beulah, N.D.
-Sarah Lindblom, a junior majoring in zoology from Fergus Falls, Minn.
-Hannah Green, a junior majoring in music from Iowa City, Iowa
Their adviser is David Wells, professor in industrial and manufacturing engineering.

Team Corn Oncologists won the $5,000 corn-based innovations track sponsored by the North Dakota Corn Council. Their project is corn resistant starch nanoparticles as encapsulation material for colon cancer drug delivery. The encapsulation material has the potential to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to the colon while minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy.

Team members are:
-Dusan Petrovic, a senior majoring in chemistry from Smederevo, Serbia
-Nilushni Sivapragasam, a graduate student in chemistry from Colombo, Sri Lanka
-Darshika Amarakoon, a Dec. 2012 cereal science graduate from Gampaha, Sri Lanka
-Su Hyeon Hwang, a junior majoring in food science and technology from Seoul, South Korea
Their innovation adviser is Pushparajah Thavarajah, assistant professor in the School of Food Systems.

Team Midwest Best won the $1,000 People’s Choice Award for their software program that uses cameras to record video to help determine fault when car accidents occur. The video also can help identify perpetrators when a vehicle is broken into.

Team members are:
-Bryce Heustis, a sophomore majoring in finance from Devils Lake, N.D.
-Drew Spooner, a sophomore majoring in marketing and management from Fargo
-Anna Haugen, a sophomore majoring in accounting from West Fargo
Their innovation adviser is Kay Hopkins, academic adviser in the College of Business.

“This week wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors,” Wyland said. “Their willingness to champion Innovation Week demonstrates the commitment they have to our future leaders and their ability to diversify the economy through innovation.”

NDSU is a student-focused, land-grant, research university listed among the top 108 research universities in the nation by the Carnegie Foundation. 

The NDSU Research and Technology Park and Technology Incubator are home to fast-paced, high-growth companies that promote technology-based economic development in North Dakota. The companies compete globally or have the potential to. To operate within the park or Technology Incubator, a company needs to be involved in the advancement and development of new technology and be willing to establish a working relationship with NDSU. The companies work in the fields of material sciences, biosciences and life science technology, information technology, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing and sensors/micro-electronics.

Fargo, N.D., March 1, 2013 — The Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience and the NDSU Department of Psychology will hold a two-day workshop on Bayesian data analysis, presented by John K. Kruschke, professor of psychological and brain sciences and adjunct professor of statistics at Indiana University. The workshop is set for Thursday and Friday, March 21-22 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Reimer’s Room at the McGovern Alumni Center.
 
The two-day event begins with “Bayesian Estimation Supersedes the T Test,” an introductory talk about the benefits of Bayesian data analysis and how it compares to 20th century null-hypothesis significance testing. Kruschke also will discuss how Bayesian analysis software functions. The talk is scheduled for Thursday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Memorial Union Century Theater. 

Following the colloquium, Kruschke will hold a hands-on workshop on how to do Bayesian data analysis with R and JAGS free software. This workshop is considered ideal for researchers who want a ground-floor introduction to Bayesian data analysis. No specific mathematical or statistical expertise is presumed. 

Kruschke is a seven-time winner of Teaching Excellence Recognition Awards from Indiana University. His research interests include the science of moral judgment, applications of Bayesian methods to teaching and learning, and models of attention in learning, which he has developed in both connectionist and Bayesian formalisms. He has written an introductory textbook on Bayesian data analysis. 

The workshop is free of charge. Space is limited to the first 75 people who register. 

For more information or to register, visit www.indiana.edu/~jkkteach/WorkshopNDSU2013.html or contact Mark Nawrot at mark.nawrot@ndsu.edu. 

The workshop and colloquium are made possible by the support of the Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, College of Science and Mathematics, NDSU Graduate School, Distance and Continuing Education, Human Development and Family Science and the Office of the Provost. 

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private research universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

Fargo, N.D., March 1, 2013 — Erxi Wu, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NDSU, co-wrote the article, “Neurotransmitter substance P mediates pancreatic cancer perineural invasion via NK-1R in cancer cells,” which was published by Molecular Cancer Research, an American Association for Cancer Research journal.
 
According to the authors, pancreatic cancer significantly affects the quality of life due to the severe abdominal pain. However, the underlying mechanism is not clear. This study aimed to determine the relationship between substance P and pancreatic cancer perineural invasion, as well as mechanism of substance P mediating pancreatic cancer perineural invasion which cause pain in patients with pancreatic cancer. 

The authors showed that substance P is not only widely distributed in the neurite outgrowth from newborn rat dorsal root ganglions but also expressed in pancreatic cells. NK-1R is found to be overexpressed in the pancreatic cancer cell lines tested. Substance P induces cancer cell proliferation and invasion and the expression of MMP-2 in pancreatic cancer cells; and NK-1R antagonists inhibit these effects. Furthermore, substance P is also able to promote neurite outgrowth and the migration of pancreatic cancer cell cluster to the dorsal root ganglions, which is blocked by NK-1R antagonists in the co-culture model. 

“Our results suggest that substance P plays an important role in the development of pancreatic cancer metastasis and perineural invasion, and blocking the substance P /NK-1R signaling system is a novel strategy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer,” Wu said, noting the paper was co-written with Qingyong Ma lab at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China. “Collaborating with Dr. Ma, we together would like to find better cancer therapeutics and elucidate the mechanisms of the targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer,” Wu said. 

Wu’s research interests include tumor therapeutic targets, drug discovery and biomarkers. For more information about Wu’s lab, visit www.ndsu.edu/pharmsci/faculty_staff/erxi_wu. 

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private research universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.